Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F); Deceptive and Unfair Collection of Medical Debt".
Summary
What This Bill Does
H.J.Res.167 is a Congressional Review Act disapproval resolution aimed at a CFPB withdrawal action. The targeted withdrawal concerns Debt Collection Practices Regulation F treatment of deceptive and unfair medical-debt collection. Because the action being disapproved is a rollback, the practical effect would be to keep the earlier CFPB circular, bulletin, rule, or interpretation from being erased by the 2025 withdrawal notice. The stakes are consumer-finance supervision, private enforcement leverage, compliance duties for financial firms, and Congress's ability to reverse agency deregulatory actions through the CRA.
Who Benefits and How
Medical debt patients benefit because disapproval would preserve the CFPB position that gave them a clearer protection, complaint theory, or supervisory standard. Consumer protection attorneys benefit because the earlier CFPB document remains a stronger reference point for enforcement and litigation. State consumer finance enforcers benefit from a federal interpretation they can cite when policing unfair, deceptive, or discriminatory practices. Patients disputing medical bills benefit if the earlier medical-debt collection interpretation remains in effect.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Medical debt collectors bear the burden because the prior CFPB interpretation would continue to shape compliance reviews and litigation risk. CFPB rollback staff must treat the withdrawal as legally ineffective if the resolution is enacted. Financial compliance departments must keep policies aligned with the earlier CFPB guidance instead of relying on the withdrawal. Medical billing contractors must continue managing collection scripts and credit-reporting practices under the prior standard.
Key Provisions
- Provides congressional disapproval of the CFPB withdrawal relating to Debt Collection Practices Regulation F treatment of deceptive and unfair medical-debt collection.
- Blocks the withdrawal by declaring that it shall have no force or effect.
- Preserves the earlier CFPB circular, bulletin, rule, or interpretation as the operative policy baseline.
- Restricts the CFPB's ability to issue a substantially similar withdrawal without new congressional authority.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Uses the Congressional Review Act to disapprove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau withdrawal of Debt Collection Practices Regulation F treatment of deceptive and unfair medical-debt collection, making the rollback have no force or effect.
Key Policy Areas
Consumer Finance, Administrative Law, Congressional Review Act
Primary Purpose
Uses the Congressional Review Act to disapprove the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau withdrawal of Debt Collection Practices Regulation F treatment of deceptive and unfair medical-debt collection, making the rollback have no force or effect.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Medical debt patients
- Consumer protection attorneys
- State consumer finance enforcers
- CFPB supervision staff
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation- Medical debt collectors
- CFPB rollback staff
- Financial compliance departments
- Consumer finance litigants
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeReferred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
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